Accidents Happen
by Phoebejoeyfan
Summary: A Fatal accdent threatens to tear apart the lives of the 6 friends pj pr rr mc r&r plz :o)
1. Default Chapter

Accidents Happen  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.  
  
A/N: Ok, I've started another new story. Crazy? I might just be, but it keeps me entertained, and I hope it gives you all entertainment too :o) Oh and Vane, i promise i havent forgotten about you sweetie, i'll email you soon :o)

Apartment number 19 looked like a bomb had just been dropped in the middle of it. Clothes were scattered across the couch and its chairs, pots and plates were sat at the sink unwashed and caked in food, children's toys were strewn around the floor in complete disarray and amongst it all on a barca-lounger sat an unfazed looking Joey with his two year old daughter, Summer in his lap.  
  
He had hated Phoebes choice of name at first, calling their daughter after the season in which she was born, but he was slowly but surely coming to terms with it-since he really had no other option.  
  
Although as time went on and the baby's personality had began to grow and shine he had to agree that the name suited her. She really was just like a little summer, with her curly blonde hair amassed at the top of her head, her sparkling blue eyes, sunny attitude and a tendency to make everyone smile when she was around-exactly like the sunshine.  
  
"Oh come on baby, sit still while daddy tries to put on your shoes" Summer struggled under Joey's tight grasp, moaning slightly and trying to suppress a full blown temper tantrum, which was seconds from erupting.  
  
"I want Mommy!" She squirmed away like a fervent snake, wriggling herself from under Joey's arm and down the sleek, slippery leather chair, on to the carpet below, landing with a soft bump which she didn't seem to notice in her determination to escape and be free.  
  
"We're going to meet Mommy at the hairdresser in town with Uncle Chandler, right now." He bundled her back into his arms, lifting her high and resting her against his chest while she banged her hands together excitedly in rhythmic claps.  
  
"Uncle Chandy, uncle Chandy!"  
  
"Did someone call me?" Chandler stood in the doorway clutching a shopping bag, which he rested on the foosball table, clearing his hands of obstructions and enabling him to pick up his Goddaughter as she ran towards him, as fast as her little legs would carry her.  
  
"Hey, how's my favourite girl today?" he planted a kiss on her forehead and listened intently, making funny over exaggerated facial gestures as she recounted numerous pointless stories to him, while Joey gathered all the belongings they would be needing for their outing.  
  
"You ready man?" Chandler lifted his bag from the table, still holding Summer in the one arm.  
  
"Yeah, I think I have everything? Phoebe normally has this all prepared for me, but she was in such a rush this morning to make her hair appointment. We didn't even get a chance to stay goodbye to her before she left, I hope she's ok."  
  
"She'll be fine. She's with Mon and Rachel. Let's just hope they're in a good mood! You know how they get if they don't get that perfect cut and color! Especially Monica! I don't think i could cope with another incident like the Dudley Moore catastrophe!" Both men winced as though in pain, with Joey nodding in knowing agreement. Joey closed the door over behind him and took one last look at the empty hallway before descending the stairs to go meet his fiancé and friends in the city.  
  
In a few minutes his life was about to change forever and nothing would ever been the same again. "Oh my God, I didn't realise it was so windy out here! My hairs gonna be ruined before I even get home!" Rachel clung fiercely to the top of her head to stop the harsh wind dishevelling it.  
  
"Maybe we should go back inside and wait? They're bound to be late anyway."  
  
"Yeah, we can watch for the guys from the window, that way we won't miss them." Phoebe led the way back through the salon door and took a seat by the large glass partition, watching the world go by outside, unaware her world was about to shatter into a thousand pieces at any minute. Lightening flashed brightly across the now dull sky and a deafening rumble of thunder followed immediately after. The clouds opened instantly, bringing down a sudden torrent of hard hitting rain and hail.  
  
"Geez, where did that come from?" Joey let go of his daughters hand and pulled his leather jacket over his head to stop him from getting wet. He intended to wrap Summer inside his coat with him, but Chandler's words made him lose all concentration.  
  
"Look Joe, isn't that Ursula across the road?" Chandler pointed to the blonde woman walking along the opposite side of the road on the sidewalk.  
  
"Oh yeah, so it is." He stared at her absorbedly as she continued past, his gaze making his head turn to the left. It had been years since he had seen his girlfriend's sister, but he was still struck by how similar both women were, even although they were twins.  
  
"MOMMY!" Summer had noticed the familiar looking woman also, and began to run towards her eagerly, uncaring of the cars which were zooming up and down the path in which she wanted to cross. All she had wanted all day was for her Mom to wrap her arms around her and sing her the silly songs that she loved so much.  
  
At the sound of her voice both Joey and Chandler spun around to where she once stood, but she was no longer there. Instead she was making her way to the middle of the two lane road, with cars honking their horns and swerving frantically to avoid this tiny little girl who was barely visible to them above their windscreens.  
  
"Summer, NO!!" Joey screamed hysterically at the top of his lungs, but the wind seemed to carry his voice away, making it less audible and mixing it with the sound of horns and screeching tyres.  
  
It was too little too late.  
  
The thud of the bright yellow taxi cab hitting his daughter rang through his mind like a thousand agonising screams.  
  
He clasped his hands tightly over his ears and closed his eyes tightly to stop the tears from erupting from them at the sight of his precious little girl under the wheels of the vehicle.  
  
He lowered himself down onto the soaking wet concrete and banged his fists into the ground, wails rising from his throat.  
  
The sun had stopped shining, and his summer was gone. 

Ohhh cliff-hanger :o) Has summer really died? How will the others react? Chapter 2 coming soon :o) Xxxx Please review xxxxx


	2. When the sun stops shining

Chapter 2  
  
Accidents happen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends  
  
A/N: Its been a week or two since I've updated this one, so I decided to get my finger out and get this chapter up. It's a bit of a transitional one...with Phoebe's POV on the accident. The next chapter will be much better and much more detailed. There's a lot more angst to come! :o)  
  
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The window began to steam up with unwelcome condensation due to the clammy weather from outside and the boiling hot heat from the hairdryers inside the salon.  
  
Phoebe reached out her hand and vigorously rubbed it across the huge glass pane, making herself a visible clearance so she could keep an eye on the street.  
  
"Oh, my God, was that lightening I just saw?" Rachel held on tightly to her seat and coward backwards towards Monica for unconscious protection.  
  
Before anyone could answer the deafening and unmistakable rumble of thunder echoed and confirmed her worst fear. She jumped up as quickly as she could and moved herself as far away from the window as was strategically possible.  
  
"You guys should move too...it's really not safe to sit by a window during a thunderstorm!"  
  
Monica followed Rachel over to where she was now standing in the corner of the salon by the coat rack, but Phoebe remained exactly where she was, much to Rachel's horror.  
  
"Phoebe!" Rachel's eyes almost popped out of her head as she exclaimed her friends name in disgust, finding it hard to believe she was foolish enough to stay seated.  
  
"Oh, Rachel, calm down! It's perfectly safe. The odds of being struck by lightening while inside a building are like a million to one. I have more chance of winning the jackpot in the state lotto than of being..." The sudden sound of screeching horns and metal smashing violently together stopped her mid sentence, making her stomach churn and almost lurch into her throat.  
  
The whole salon fell eerily silent for a few seconds while everyone digested the situation, before they joined in their synchronised mumbling, each offering up an explanation as they fathomed out what had gone on outside.  
  
"See! I told you both no good would come of that storm! I knew it was dangerous!" Rachel huddled closer into Monica and pushed her towards the door  
  
"Mon, go see what happened."  
  
"Why do I have to go? Can't you go yourself!"  
  
Because...well, because, you have better eyesight!" She threw her hands up; knowing her excuse was pathetic and no one would believe it.  
  
Monica drew her friend a dirty look and edged herself towards the open half wooden, half glass door, where a crowd had by now gathered, both inside and out of the hairdresser's.  
  
She pushed herself forcefully through the mass of bodies' struggling until she finally made her way out onto the sidewalk.  
  
So many people had gathered it was hard to make out exactly what was happening, or who was involved, but she suspected it was something to do with the bright yellow taxi which was strangely positioned across the roads two lanes.  
  
Her eyes drifted down and rested on the cabs front wheels, where a tiny set of legs were visible. She clasped her hands tightly across her mouth to stop her from vomiting and swiftly turned her head away so she could no longer see the disturbing vision in front of her.  
  
The roaring siren of the ambulance grew audibly closer and soon she could see it's flashing blue light beaming in the distance, growing brighter, and becoming almost blinding as it neared.  
  
It came to a screeching standstill and immediately the paramedic rushed from the back, towards the taxi that was less that 5 feet from a terrified Monica, dropping their bags of equipment onto the sodden tarmac in great urgency.  
  
She was transfixed by the sight of the heroes at work, trying desperately to save the little person, tragically trapped beneath the vehicles wheels  
  
It made her want to run-run back to the safety of friends.  
  
But before she could bolt she heard a familiar voice that was nearby calling her name.  
  
"Monica!" Chandler spotted his wife standing on the opposite end of the street and instantly made a dart for her, leaving Joey alone in his despair.  
  
He couldn't stay with him like this any longer. He needed Monica's comfort now more than anything else he could imagine. He needed her arms to be wrapped around him, to take away the agonising pain that was breaking his heart in two.  
  
This was exactly the kind of situation he just couldn't cope with...not like she could. Monica had the reasoning and maturity that he so desperately wanted, but lacked.  
  
If anyone could make everything ok Monica was the one to do it. He had to believe this for the sake of his only God daughter...the apple of his eye.  
  
"Chandler?" She knew it was him even although his cries for her were dulled by the street noise. She stood on her toes, frantically trying to make herself taller than her normal 5 feet 4 in order to see over the massive crowd of heads that towered above her.  
  
"Chandler, where are you?" Panic was now beginning to set in. Claustrophobia engulfed her as the strangers drew closer to her, invading the tiny piece of space she had created for herself, banging into her as they tried in vain to get nearer the accident to satisfy their need for gory gossip, making her feel almost invisible and extremely uneasy.  
  
"I'm here!" He stretched his arm out as far as it would go and managed to barely touch the top of her shoulder. He pulled himself towards her, ignoring the cries of "Hey, watch where you're going!"  
  
He bundled his wife into his strong arms and fully intended never to let her go.  
  
She welcomed his warm embrace and the familiar scent of his aftershave that transported her back to a happier time and place.  
  
"Are you okay sweetie?" As her head rested in the crease of his shoulder she felt his body shudder and tremble uncontrollably as though in spasm.  
  
She reluctantly yanked herself away, needing to see his face, and she almost wished she hadn't.  
  
Her worst fear was confirmed. Tears ran the length of his cheeks as he sobbed freely, for once not caring who was watching.  
  
"What's wrong honey?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Never in her 15 years of knowing him had she seen him get in such a state. Chandler never, ever cried. He was a self confessed unemotional man, but here he was, on the verge of becoming hysterical.  
  
He desperately wanted to tell her as she was clearly still in the dark as to who was involved in the accident, but the tears had allowed a lump to form over his vocal chords, so as hard as he tried no words would leave his mouth.  
  
"Shh, take it easy. One word at a time" She clasped her hands patiently on his wet cheeks and waited on his answer.  
  
"The baby!" He took a deep breath, choking back his tears.  
  
"The baby!" He could say no more. Instead he lifted his hand and shakily pointed to the car's wheels, where the paramedics had now set up their equipment and were battling to save a life.  
  
Monica quickly spun around and again met with the sight of the child's lifeless feet. What was he trying to tell her! He wasn't making any sense.  
  
She remained fixated, hoping something obvious would jump out at her, and it did, much to her horror.  
  
The sudden realisation of what he meant hit her like a ton of brick to the stomach. Her body halved in two as she bent forward, vomiting onto the pavement in front of her before she could stop herself.  
  
The baby's boots were the exact pair she had bought for summer in the Bloomingdales sale just a few days ago. She had fallen in love with them the minute she had seen them on display and their huge price tag was no deterrent-only the best was good enough for her favourite little girl.  
  
She wiped her mouth and brushed away her own tears. Within seconds she had found an inner strength she didn't think she was capable of, but there it was, urging her to carry on and not crumble into an uncontrollable mess. Her husband and friends needed her to be strong now more than ever.  
  
"Chandler, go get Phoebe!" Snapping into controlling mode was her own coping mechanism, and Chandler, fully aware of this complied with her wishes.  
  
He rushed through the salon's door, and like his wife had to do earlier, powerfully, but gently moved people out of his way. Scanning the room, studying the face of ever well groomed woman in the place that he came into contact with, until he found the one person he was there frantically searching for and the same person he so dreadfully wanted to avoid.  
  
"Pheebs!" He ran towards her plastic disguised as leather chair by the window and urgently grabbed her arms, pulling her quickly to her feet.  
  
He yanked her towards the door he had just entered as violently as he could without seriously hurting her, but she dug her feet into the carpeted flooring, demanding and explanation for his sudden crazy behaviour.  
  
"What the hell are you playing at Chandler?! Have you finally lost the plot!" he ignored her venomous tone as best he could and continued to haul her along behind him with all the strength he could muster, which wasn't a lot at that precise moment.  
  
If he could just get her out and onto the street where everything would become clear to her then he wouldn't have to find the courage and words to explain that her daughter was lying on the road seconds away from death.  
  
"Chandler! If you don't tell me this instant what you're doing then I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you!" She didn't really mean it of course, but she was getting scared and absolutely mortified into the bargain. He was causing such a commotion that everyone had turned their attention from the uproar happening in the street and was now focused on the tug of war going on between them.  
  
The immense rain almost instantly flattened her newly styled hair as she was dragged against her will into the wild winter weather.  
  
"Please stop this, you're hurting me!" her whimpering plea fell on deaf ears...he couldn't stop now, they were just feet away.  
  
As they drew closer he let her hands go, giving her one last push forwards. His job was done. He had done just what Monica had asked of him, but he could no longer bear to watch...it was all too painful.  
  
All thoughts of Chandler had now left her and her focus was on the events unfolding before her very eyes.  
  
It all seemed to be happening so far away, like a dream. She could hear the voices, and see the people, but it wasn't, couldn't be real. Could it?  
  
The ambulance-the taxi-a baby. Her baby!  
  
"Summer!" Phoebe immediately ran forwards, her heart pounding in her chest, breathing suddenly becoming like the most difficult thing in the world to do.  
  
"You can't go near there miss!" A petite, blonde policewoman encased Phoebe in her surprisingly strong arms as she tried in desperation to get to her only daughter.  
  
"But that's my baby, she needs me!" She had never felt so hopeless and numb in her entire life.  
  
"There's nothing you can do. The Doctors are with her doing the best they can" The strangers words seemed so harsh, but she was right. There was nothing Phoebe, or anyone for that matter could do. It was too late for help.  
  
"We're losing her!" The paramedic threw the oversized paddles onto the tiny girls chest, covering the majority of her torso.  
  
"No!" Phoebe pushed against her captor with all her mite. She had to hold her daughter and no one was stopping her. As she broke free and ran forwards she heard the words she dreaded most.  
  
"She's gone"  
  
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Next Chapter: Who's to blame for summers death? Can Phoebe ever forgive Joey? Who will be there to give her a little more comfort than she needs?!  
  
Remember to review :o) Mwah  



	3. Ain't no sunshine

Chapter 3

Accidents Happen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends

It had been the longest, most disturbing night of her adult life, and it had gone by in a hazy flash, like time had taken over and zoomed forward by 6 hours without her noticing.

The phrase "Time is of the essence" ran through her mind over and over again. She had heard it said a million times, but tonight it had extra meaning and significance.

In the short space of 10 minutes she had lost her one and only daughter. The most precious thing in her life had been cruelly snatched away from her, without as much as an explanation to why. Her baby was dead and Phoebe felt like her own soul had died with her daughter, gone to a far off place and never coming back.

Her world had suddenly come crashing down around her, and the ruined remnants lay scattered at her feet in a thousand pieces, like a broken mirror that was beyond repair

"There you go sweetie, you sit yourself down and I'll go get you a nice warm cup of coffee." Monica manoeuvred her zombie-like friend onto the sofa in the apartment she shared with her husband, patting her head and rubbing her newly styled hair like she were a child in pain and in need of comfort.

The others stood by the kitchen table, looking visibly tired and lost. Their eyes rested on the wooden floor beneath themselves, boring holes into it, their minds in a far off place.

What could they possibly say, or do to make things better?

Nothing...and they knew it.

This was a situation nobody had dreamed would ever happen, not even in their worst nightmares had they envisioned a horror like the one they had just lived through

Chandler shifted his legs around in awkward unison. He watched his feet dance around the floor as his mind wandered off to the event which he had witnessed with his own eyes. the bang, followed by a scream and screeching of tyres played over and over in his head, and like a song he hated that was on repeat, he wanted nothing more than for it to stop.

Could it have been prevented? He asked himself the question that pretty soon each one of them would come to ask themselves.

He knew nothing anyone had did or didn't do would have stopped the tragedy from occurring, but still the guilt ate away at him, like maggot devouring a rotten piece of flesh.

Beside him Rachel felt equally as eaten up. As she stood in Monica's living room watching her distraught friend come to terms with the loss of her child all she could think about was her own 5 year old daughter, Emma. Who soon she would be able to go home to, tucking her into bed, and giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead before she fell into a dreamy slumber. But poor Phoebe could no longer do that. Her baby was gone forever, just a distant memory.

A small gust of air shook both from their reveries as the front door quickly flew open and a horrified Ross appeared in their line of vision from the hallway, his face ashen and contorted in sadness.

"I just got your message, I was at the park with..."he stopped himself from saying Emma's name, feeling it wouldn't be appropriate to say it considering the circumstances.

He clocked Phoebe sitting alone silently on the sofa, her gaze transfixed on the blank television screen, which she could see her reflection in. The fear of speaking which had already overcome his friends was now creeping up on him too.

He sidled softly towards them, afraid to make another sound.

"How is she?" he whispered his question quietly-but not quietly enough. Before anyone could answer he heard a venomous voice that he hardly recognised.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Phoebe practically spat out her words in anger.

"Sweetie, we're not talking about you like you're not here, Ross was just concerned about you." Monica stopped what she was doing in the kitchen and hurried towards her friend. She wrapped her arms around her as she spoke, but Phoebe harshly shrugged her away.

"Well there's no need to be! I'm fine, okay! Stop treating me like I'm a kid in need of sympathy, I'm not the one who died!" Her tone was full of hatred, to her friends and to the world, who for so long had treated her badly.

Monica looked awkwardly over at the others. No one knew how to react, or how to comfort their friend who was in obvious despair and denial.

If this was Phoebe's way of coping then they would have to respect that. If she didn't want wrapped in cotton wool then they would leave her alone...until she finally cracked and needed their support, which they knew was inevitable. No one could act this strong and not break done at some point. Not even tough Phoebe who liked everyone to believe she was as hard as stone.

The room grew silent once again, until Phoebe tore herself off of the sofa and walked angrily to the bathroom, where she slammed the door.

"I'm really worried about her," Rachel whispered, scared to be heard by Phoebe even although she was in another room.

"I am too, but I don't think the enormity of this has hit her yet. I think tonight is just the tip of the iceberg...tomorrows gonna be a lot tougher, when what's happened finally sinks in." Monica shook her head, knowing fine well that this was just the start of things to come, and each one of them was going to have to find the strength of 10 armies to get through this.

Just as Ross was about to give his 10 cents worth the phone by his side began to ring and Phoebe emerged from the bathroom. Her presence alone was enough to silence him.

"Hello?" Monica answered it.

"Yes, sure. I'll be right over." She replaced the phone into the handset and looked up at the others who watched her in anticipation.

"That was the hospital. Joey's signed himself out and the nurse wants someone to pick him up as he's still slightly sedated from the medication they gave him when he arrived."

"He shouldn't be leaving! Didn't you see the state he was in when we left him? He needs supervision!" Chandler was positively aghast.

"I know, but its Joey's choice. Its maybe better that he's coming home, that way we can keep an eye on him ourselves." Monica, always the voice of reason, made Chandler change his mind and nod in agreement.

"Pheebs, do you want to come with me? I'm sure Joey would be pleased to see you...I think you both need one another right now, don't you?" Monica edged towards her, but she backed away, like a frightened animal.

"No!" She shook her head vehemently.

"I don't want to see him! He killed our daughter, and I never want to see him again!" She screamed her words so loudly the apartment block must have been able to hear her. Tears fell from her eyes at a rapid pace and she fell to the floor where she had once been standing, hysterically crying she rocked herself back and forth, tearing at her ragged blonde hair.

She meant what she said. As far as she was concerned her fiancé was nothing but a careless murderer...the killer of her child and if she never saw him again it would be too soon.

The impact of her choice was about to change the lives of each friend forever, in a way they could never have imagined possible.


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